Cover for loose leaf books



Sept. 8 1931. c. D. TRUSSELL COVER FOR LOOSE LEAF BOOKS Filed Jan. 25, 1928 INVENTOR ZM/eflj By Attorneys, aha om. YN kw w may also constitute hinge members.

patented Sept. 8, 1931 UNITED STATES CLARENCE D. TRUSSELL, OF POUGHKEEPSIE, YORK, .ASSIGNOR T0 TRUSSELL MAN PATENT OFFICE UFACTURING COMPANY, OF POUGI-IKEEPSIE, NEW YORK, A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK COVER. FOR LOOSE LEAF BOOKS This invention relates to covers for looseleaf binders such as those of the ring book type, and particularly to those having the back and sides hinged together by hinge mem- 5 bers having alternated eyes connected .by

hinge pins or pintles. 1

The invention relates particularly to the construction of the stiffening plates which are -applied to the back of the book, and which Such hinge plates have hertofore been applied with the hinge eyes located at the sides of the book back and engaging similar but alternating hinge eyes formed on hinge plates located at the inner edges of the cover sides. Heretofore such back plates have either been made in one piece or in two pieces joining along the middle. In those constructionsin which the metal back plate or hinge plate is embedded within a pocket in the book back, it has been necessary in the case of a single plate having hinge ears on its opposite edges, to provide some special construction of pocket whereby to admit of the insertion of the plate within 25 the pocket. An example of such cover is found in my Patent No. 1,745,461, dated February 4, 1930. The division of the plate down the middle into two plates, as set forth in my application No. 225,762, filed October 5 connection with the inner spring plate or other parallel plate whereby to keep the two back plates in their proper relations and afford sufficient stiffness so that they may serve the purposes of a single undivided plate.

The present invention provides a further improvement in that the backplate is made up of two superposed plates, the one having hinge eyes on its left side, and the other on its right side, and fastened together by bentdown ears or other suitable means. This construction has certain practical advantages, as will appear.

In the accompanying drawings which illustrate the preferred embodiments of the invention,- Y

12, 1927, (Patent No. 1,750,946, dated March Application filed January 25, 1928. Serial No. 249,235.

Figure 1 is a fragmentary sectional perspective view showing a part of the book back and sides of a looseleaf binder which may be of the ring type; the section is along the line 11 in Fig. 2..

Fig. 2 is an elevation of the inside ofthe book back with successive portions broken away or dissected to show the construction.

Fig. 3 is a transverse section of the superposed back plates before being fastened together.

Fig. 4 is a perspective view of the same.

Fig. 5 is a view similar to Fig. 4, but showing a slight modification.

Fig. 6 is a fragmentary section of the book backshowing a modification.

Referring to the drawings, A designates.

the book back, and B B the sides of the book cover. C is the usual inner spring back plate I having inturned edges is for embracing the usual ring binding means (not shown). The book back A and sides B Bmay be made of solid leather or may be built up in any desired way. The back A has applied to it, preferably; by being embedded within it, two back plates or hinge plates DD. One of these has hinge eyes a a on its right side, and the otherhas similar hinge eyes on its left side.

These hinge eyes interleave with similarbut alternating'hinge eyes 6 b formed on the edges of the cover sides B B, so that when the respective hinge eyes are interrelated and brought into alignment, they are connected together by inserting hinge pins or wires 0 in the usual manner. i

The novel feature of the present invention is the construction of the back plate or hinge plate as two plates D D superposed the one upon the other, the one having the hinge eyes on one side, and the other those on the 0pposite side or edge. These two plates, after being superposed, are fastened together in any suitableway, as, for example, by rivets, as shown at d in Fig. 4, or preferably by ears 6 e bent up from one-plate and passing.

through holes 7' f formed in the other plate and bent down as shown in dotted lines in Fig. j4,to clamp the two plates together. This construction has severaladvantages. It may be made of very thin. metal, and yet by the doubling of the metal throughout the back, be given ample stiffness and strength. By being made of thinner metal the bending up of the hinge eyes a a is facilitated, while these eyes are amply strong. Vith certain constructions of cover back the two plates D D may be inserted from opposite sides, and after being properly superposed may then be united or fastened together; or with some constructions of cover back the provision of special means for uniting the two plates may be unnecessary, since by both being confined within the same pocket in the cover, they are held together with sufiicient strength. Whenever the cover back has a pocket or pockets for receiving the back-plate, the present con struction has the advantage that because each plate is narrower than the sin le plate heretofore used, it may be inserted more readily into the pocket, it being understood that the plates are inserted separately into the pocket from opposite sides, and are afterward joined together. The composite plates have their greatest stiffening eifect where they are superposed, and are more supple at their rojeeting edges, as is desirable, an effect w ich heretofore has been unattainable.

The fastening means such as ears 6 6 may be used only for the purpose of uniting together the two plates DD. Or preferably the same fastening means may be carried through the inner face of the book back, and by passing through holes g g in the spring back plate C and then clinched down, they serve also the purpose of uniting this spring back plate to the book back.

Or as an alternative construction the ears 0 6 shown in Fig. 5 may be clinched down 011 the inner plate D to clamp. the two plates together, and the inner plate (or either plate) may have another car it bent up as shown in Fig. 5, which ma pass out through the book back and enter t i "ough a hole (such as g in Fig. 1) in the spring plate C for se )arately uniting the spring plate to the book ack. In the construction shown in Figs. 1 to 4, the cars a e for uniting the plates D D to each other, and, if desired, to other parts of the structure, are shown somewhat close together. Indeed, a single ear in the position of the ear 7:. in Fig. 5 would sufiice. But for some constructions it may be preferred to space the ears 0 c somewhat widely apart, as shown in Fig. 5. Either of these construe tions is within my invention. So also is any other construction whereby the two back plates are superposed or overlapped.

The present invention permits of a considerable variety in the construction ofthe members of the book cover, and is not limited to any particular construction of book back or sides. or any special way of providing peck ets within which the back plates may be enclosed. The hinge eyes a b are preferably embedded within the leather or other mate- 'edge rial of the book back and sides, as in m said application Serial No. 225,762; but this feature is not essential to my present invention, and any cover construction or hinge construction may be provided for association with the double or superposed hinge plates D D.

While the present invention finds its principal and most desirable application in connection with book covers having the sides and back hinged together by metal hinge members united by hinge pins or pintles, yet it is applicable in part to those book covers for loose-leaf books or the like having the back and sides formed of integral material united by thinner flexible portions constituting flexible hinges. For such use the plates D D are used without their hinge eyes a a, being simply superposed and em bedded in the material of the book back, as shown in Fig. 6. For such use the advantages of two plates instead of one are that each may be narrower than the single plate, and may be of approximately half the thickness of the usual back plate or stillening plate, and will consequently have much greater flexibility and resilience; whereas after they are united to each other and to the materi al of the book back, they serve every purpose of a single integral plate, affording the same stiffness or resiliency. It is preferable to bend the outer plate I) where it projects beyond the edge of the inner plate, into the plane of the inner plate, as shown at i, so that it shall occupy the same position in relation to the back as the opposite projecting For certain constructions of book back the use of thinner and more flexible pates is an important advantage in inserting them; so also is the use of narrower plates.

What I claim is 1. A cover for a loose leaf book of the type comprising a back and sides hinged together, the back being integral from hinge to hinge, characterized in that the back has separate metal stiffening plates overlying each other and fastened together to function as a sing g le plate and united to the back.

2. A cover for a loose leaf book of the type comprising a back and sides hinged together, the back having separate h inge plates formed with hinge eyes at the edges of the back, these plates superposed and united to the back, and an inner plate fastened on the inner side of the back and united to said hinge plates.

3. A cover for a loose-leaf book of the type comprising a back and sides hinged together, the back being integral from hinge to hinge and having separate stiffening. plates embedded within it formed with hinge eyes at the edges of the back, the one plate formed with such eyes at its rightdiand side, and the other with such eyes at its left-hand side, these plates superposed and united together and to the book back.

4. A cover according to claim 1, the plates overlying along the middle portion of the plates fastened together and united to it, said back, the plates narrower than the combined plates formed at their edges with hinge eyes. In witness whereof, I have hereunto signed plates, and each projecting beyond the other toward one of the opposite edges of the back, and the overlying portions of the plates united together.

5. A cover according to claim 2, the hinge plates having fastening means whereby they are united to each other and to the inner plate.

6. A cover according to claim 2, the hinge plates having fastening means whereby they are united to each other and to the inner plate, such fastening means consisting of ears bent up from one of said plates passing through the other and through the inner plate, and clinched down upon the latter.

7. A cover according to claim 1, the plates overlying along the middle portion of the back, and projecting as a single thickness beyond, such single thickness of one plate bent into the plane of the other plate.

8. A book cover having its back formed with a pocket opening along the middle of the back, and two superposed metal plates'inserted in such pocket, and united to the back.

9. A book cover having its back formed with a pocket opening along the middle of the back, and two metal plates each narrower than the width of the pocket, adapted for insertion therein from opposite sides, and means for fastening them together, said plates being superposed in the middle portion of the back and their edge portions projecting to the Width of the pocket.

10. A cover for a loose-leaf book of the type comprising a back and sides hinged together, the back being integral from hinge to hinge, characterized in that the back has separate superposed metal stiffening plates fastened together to function as a single plate, the plates overlying each other at the middle portion of the back with a single thickness thereof of each plate projecting toward the edges of the back on opposite sides, and said plates united to the back, whereby the middle portion of the back is stiffened by a double thickness of metal plates, and its side portions are stiffened by a single thickness thereof.

11. A cover for a loose-leaf book of the type comprising a back and sides hinged together, the back being integral from hinge to hinge characterized in that the back has separate plates formed with hinge eyes at the edges of the back, these plates superposed and united to each other to function as a single plates and embedded within the back with their hinge eyes emerging beyond the edges of the back.

12. A cover for a loose-leaf book of the type comprising a back and sides hinged together, the back being integral from hinge to hinge, and characterized by the fact that the back has separate superposed stiffening my name.

CLARENCE D. TRUSSELL.

CERTIFICATE OF CORREGTIQN.

Patent No. 1,822,552. Granted September 8, 1931, to

CLARENCE D. TRUSSELL.

It is hereby certified that error appears in the printed specification of the above numbered patent requiring correction as follows: Page 2, line 103, for the Word "pates" read plates; page 3, line 43, claim iii, strike out the word "thereof", and line 58, claim 11, for "plates" read plate; and that the said- Letters Patent should be read with these corrections therein that the same may conform to the record of the case in the Patent Office.

Signed and sealed this 3rd day of November, A. D. 1931.

M. J. Moore,

(Seal) Acting Commissioner of Patents. 

